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Kambwili Fumes at Chipolopolo ‘It Was Rubbish To Draw’
GOVERNMENT has was warned that it will disband the national football team and threatened to stop funding football, saying a lot of tax payer’s money was going to waste at the expense of the sport.
In expressing his discontentment, Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili said he was not happy with the Chipolopolo’s continued poor performance and threatened to crack the whip for continued wastage of tax-payer’s money.
The Chipolopolo drew 1-1 with minnows Lesotho on Sunday in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Maseru, while Ghana hammered Sudan 4-0 in the other Group D game played in Kumasi to reduce Zambia’s lead to one point.
Kambwili said the technical bench and the players should know that a lot of tax payer’s money is being spent on football which they have continued to waste by putting up unacceptable behaviour.
He said football affects a lot of people’s lives but it seemed the technical bench and the rest of the players had forgotten that fact and were allowing complacency to get into their game.
”We are extremely disappointed with the national team performance. Soon after the game, I called Kalusha Bwalya and told him this is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to go on.”
“There is no way the Zambia national team, who are the immediate past African champions, can be drawing with teams like Lesotho. It is an insult to the Zambian people. It is a sheer waste of public money. So why should I continue putting money in the national team that can’t give you results?
“I would rather disband the team – stop participating in all international assignments until they put their house in order and prove to us that indeed, we are going to spend money on a successful project. So I am giving them a warning that if they don’t qualify to the World Cup, I think it will not augur very well,” a seething Kambwili said.
Kambwili said the poor run by the senior national team was a matter that needed action and that he would meet the FAZ executive committee and the technical bench soon after returning so they explain the team’s poor performance.
“We shall not sit aloof and see first tax payer’s money go to waste and then see standards deteriorate. If this does not change, I am going to take action and the consequences will not be desirable but that may have to be necessary,” he said.
Kambwili, who singled out goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene and goal scorer Collins Mbesuma as the outstanding players from the Lesotho game, did not specify what action he would take; only saying he will act strongly.
“It appears these people are drunk with being African champions in 2012 and they think they have reached their highest peak and they can’t perform. How can you go and substitute Collins Mbesuma when he was holding three players? And those players immediately Mbesuma was removed they went forward because they had nobody to mark and that is how we conceded the goal,” the minister said.
Kambwili said at the Orange 2013 Africa Cup in South Africa, Zambia drew all its matches and has carried on with the trend and expressed ire at the players for allowing Lesotho to come from behind and level the scores.
“Let them say what we are not giving them. They just cough and we do what they ask us to do. So why are they failing to give us back result in return? Football in Zambia is politics – it is everybody’s lunch and breakfast. People collapse when the national team losses, some people die; we have lost lives because of football.”
“I would rather we stop participating in these assignments so that we don’t continue killing our people with shock. Those boys don’t know what is at stake. It is not a question of just going to participate – we are not going to be mere participants, we have to be conquerors,” he said.
Kambwili said the team has clearly lost the fighting spirit it exhibited at the Orange 2012 Africa Cup co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
“It is just the attitude. The players are not just serious. They have stopped putting in the spirit of dying a little for mother Zambia. Dennis Liwewe says die a little for mother Zambia, but this group of players is not dying a little for mother Zambia,” he said.
Posted by Editor
on March 26, 2013. Filed under HEADLINES, LATEST NEWS.
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fonko fonko
March 26, 2013 at 9:40 am
Good warning Bwana Hon. Minister, there is too much complacency in the team. Your views are correct Hon. Minister.
Chanda
March 26, 2013 at 9:54 am
Words of Leadership… Bravo Hon. Minister. It’s really getting out of hand. My question is how many times are these boys going back to the drawing board? last year, after being booted out from the AFCON 2013, They went back to the drawing board, how long are they going to stay there. Hon. Minister do whatever it takes to shake those people up. Teams they call ‘strong’ are winning and scoring goals! Shall we always wait for Draws.. Hell NO!!!
Abeni ba Mukankala
March 27, 2013 at 4:48 pm
Its the Drawing Board National Team
Mulenga
March 26, 2013 at 10:47 am
Has this fool ever heard of teams that were suspended by FIFA because of Government interference
TLK
March 26, 2013 at 11:01 am
****** mulenga why waste tax payers money, we re better off suspended than waste money on rubish
kilipala kunda
March 26, 2013 at 4:02 pm
Mulenga there is no interferance here,gorverment can do well to act on this situation.
Abeni ba Mukankala
March 26, 2013 at 6:24 pm
It will be interference if govt disbands the team. If it withdraws financial support that is not interference
Peter Patel
March 26, 2013 at 10:52 am
Yes the Hon has spoken well. I would like to tell our players to put GOD first in every thing their do. Pray as you prepare for the games ahead, pray as you train and pray before you go on the football pinch. Let GOD go before you in all you do and as a Nation let us pray for our country and the National Team.
GOD BLESS ZAMBIA!!!!!
Abeni ba Mukankala
March 26, 2013 at 6:28 pm
Kale batampa ukupepa. They prayed before AFCON after AFCON they have kept praying. If the prayers are not being answered they must adopt another strategy altogether
believer 7
March 26, 2013 at 11:13 am
What interference why doesn’t FIFA suspend countries being founded by their govt as interference,just because they want to continue chewing our money then you say interference,,better with no team than waste money then…. nonsense….indeed
Those chaps have enough money disband the team and bring in all new players except for Mweene and Mbesuma who have the career at heart!
Action Man
March 26, 2013 at 11:50 am
Honestly the Minister has just hammed the point here and sholud be given kudos for taking that bold statement. If u can recall well the minister gave a warning even b 4 they left for camp to South Africa. Let the heads roll. Similar mistakes has bin repeatedly made by coach to substitute determined players to introduce under performinig players. E.g the game against Ethiopia. I rest my case here.
shangai
March 26, 2013 at 11:52 am
which way forward kambwili? twalishiba mwalipenako panono
2k
March 26, 2013 at 11:53 am
To hell with the technical bench as well as the coach including all the tired legs of some the footballers like Chris,Isaac,Himoonde,Musonda and so and so forth.Overhaul the whole team except a few like Mbesuma ana Mweene,PERIOD!
Chola Sata
March 26, 2013 at 12:42 pm
ba Lupwa ba Kambwili basosa. Way to GO. Kabili tuli family forest, when Chipolopolo wins we claim it is PF.
When Chipolopolo loses we blame the technical bench and the players who won us the AFCON cup in the first place and add on the opposition as causers.
he he he
explayer
March 26, 2013 at 12:48 pm
supporters when only the team is doing well, what kind?
Brian
March 26, 2013 at 12:58 pm
The team has just become an embarrasment to Watch….All 2013 AFCON Games…draw, Lesotho Draw. I wonder what will happen next and without Mweene in Goal. JUst disband it now and complete overhaul…..Rubbish Period.!!
disappointed
March 26, 2013 at 1:04 pm
There is nothing political about this matter.The Honourable minister’s remarks are timely.As a matter of fact patience has been excercised and really we can not keeping watching poor performance.I mean things are getting out of hand.That is the minister’s ministry and it is simply his duty to ensure that citizens deliver what they have been entrusted with.Bravo Kambwili!
Peter
March 26, 2013 at 1:32 pm
AFRICAN, ESPECIALLY ZAMBIAN WAY OF LOOKING AT ACHIEVEMENTS. YOU WIN ONCE AND YOU SIT BACK. YOU BECOME TOO COMFORTABLE WITH THAT SINGLE WIN. ACTUALLY, THE NATIONAL TEAM IS INDEED A SHEER WASTE OF PUBLIC FUNDS. BUILD STATE-OF-THE-ART STADIA OF ALL TYPES IN EACH AND EVERY TOWN TO INSPIRE A NEW BREED OF SPORT MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL SPORTING EVENTS. TOO, MUCH BANKING ON SOCCER WILL ALWAYS BE DISAPPOINTING.
Gagamuka
March 26, 2013 at 1:53 pm
Gud people please do not over react we didnt do well its a cause of concern mara look have serious dialogue with the stakeholders. I watch Zambian league every time on super sport we have very poor players nowadays. I watched teams in the 80s and once you go to a stadia it was buzz you will in each team have a household name. wizzy, makinka, malaza, kalu, ba bwalya j but now nothing. This has transgressed to the national no player to talk about. fact we have no game changers no more. We need academies if mr Minister is to disband. Please put footballing schools not only for soccer education but to teach players other skills like self management, commitment, perseverance, and thinking. Kalaba for one is out of sorts so Zambia no engine, coach scared to put mukuka no what next?
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
March 26, 2013 at 1:56 pm
I know its painful to get such results in a game were Ghana won 7-0 and we won Ghana the question is who is better Ghana or Zambia.
Guys let us be realistic. Ghana is better than Zambia. the only problem we have with FAZ and the technical bench, they play names not players who can deliver
If I was the Coach the winning line up would have been
1 Kennedy Mweene
2 Emmanuel Mbola
3 Joseph Musonda
4 Hichan Himonde/Nathan Sinkala
5 Stoppili Suzu
6 Chisamba Lungu
7 Jonas Sakuwaha
8 Isaac Chansa/William Njovu
9 King David(Mbesuma)/Hary Milazi
10 Mukuka Mulenga
11 Kennedy Mudenda/Rainfold Kalaba
imakando
March 26, 2013 at 9:14 pm
I do not agree with you on stopeti nsunzu. He has become useless.
Tamani
March 26, 2013 at 2:06 pm
When a team wants to go forward in such competitions, there is absolute need to gain all points from the ‘weaker’ teams on paper that is. I see Lesotho as a team that will give off points easily to Ghana and unless luck is on our side, we might as well start to prepare for dissappointment because Ghana will do everything possible to go through. Already Ghana has scored a lot of goals and this does not only put Zambia in a must win situation of all remaining matches but also to score more goals than Ghana because this will be a deciding factor should Zambia get serious. We failed at AFCON 2013 because we could not collect all the three points from a weeaker team Ethiopia,who got beaten by the rest of the teams in our group. But all hope is not lost. If its our year, we will qualify. Ghana can possibly conceed losses and draws in their away matches. That is football. As for us fans, we grumble and are always sceptical.
Bull
March 26, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Thanks Mr Minister. Good call and impeccable timing
garbage collector
March 26, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Investment in the long term is the answer. We need a competent league to enable the coach select players from a wider base. And u Kambwili if u want to reduce or cut funding do it silently for u know FIFA repurcassions too well.
mike
March 26, 2013 at 3:14 pm
The Team that won the Africa Cup is Bonnett’s Team. It was Not Renard team. He took over a few weeks before the afirca cup. The current team is Renard’s team and I now understand why Angola booted him out..
Soccer fan
March 26, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Uyu coach chicolor wachabechabe. He must be booted out now!!
imakando
March 26, 2013 at 9:18 pm
Bring back Kamanga, Simataa and Bonnet. To hell with Galu and Lena.
Chaona
March 26, 2013 at 4:12 pm
As of now we only have Kennedy Mweene and Mbesuma. Then we are lacking a man who could be redeeming us like the way Great Kalu of those days used to do. No player has ever reached the level of Kalusha Bwalya of those days. Kalaba is no longer featuring ( may be no wonder we are failing to cordinate ).
Observer
March 26, 2013 at 6:09 pm
You can add Chisamba Lungu to the above you have mentioned.
On the management side, why did they have to travel by bus to Lesotho? That means the guys were also worn out by the travelling. This shows poor organisation, inspite of recieving enough support from govt. Please Minister tell FAZ to find a new and experienced manager for Chipolopolo.
How on earth do you draw with Lesotho?
Abeni ba Mukankala
March 26, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Kale batampa ukupepa. They prayed before AFCON after AFCON they have kept praying. If the prayers are not being answered they must adopt another strategy altogether
the viper
March 26, 2013 at 10:12 pm
umusebanya eeeeee lesotho mwadrawer i salute you Hon.Minister please fish out those idiots they are wasting govt funds a commision of inquery shud be set for mis use of govt funds
to hell with these players na lesotho kushupana watimo amagames ahead?
wake you guys
umu zedian
March 27, 2013 at 9:01 am
Mulenga,marabish. what are we going to loose if the gvnmt stop funding these fools of ours? we are going to save a lot of money which can be used to other meaningful project. Go ahead HON.Kambwili.
Emmanuel
March 27, 2013 at 10:25 am
Kambwili, I support you remove the Kalu. executive and caoch, let other people run football, let’s not play names here, a lot of part of my money have gone to these chaps. For Kalu, my word is resign while Zambian have respect for you, or else!!
temweni
March 27, 2013 at 10:38 am
twacula na makula yesu.
ck
March 27, 2013 at 12:33 pm
We are going to draw again at home against lesotho and sudan then lose away to Ghana.Ghana will qualify from our group if radical changes are not made now.How do you honestly substitute a player who has just scored and needing 2 defenders to mark him? Sabotage? the whole technical bench must go period!
High Above
March 27, 2013 at 5:53 pm
No we are draw specialists. We will draw all our remaining games so Renard can boast that ” we are unbeaten” like he did at AFCON 2013